If Mark Greatbatch was not aware of the high expectations that come with being Warwickshire’s director of coaching when he replaced John Inverarity last year, he is now. He inherited the nucleus of the squad that won the Championship in 2004 and reached the C&G final in 2005, yet the county struggled to mount a challenge in any competition. Senior players failed to perform in an unhappy dressing room, described by one as “like a cesspit”. Players must ultimately take responsibility for their performances but the dour Greatbatch must also accept some blame for failing to create an environment in which they felt able to express themselves. Having replaced almost every senior manager last winter, Warwickshire are likely to keep faith with Greatbatch – but on the understanding that performances must improve next season. The loss of Daniel Vettori to a back injury after one game was a blow but the South African slow left-armer Paul Harris was a capable replacement. Finding one for Nick Knight, retiring after 12 years of heavy, unfussy run-scoring, will test Greatbatch’s recruitment skills. Losing Moeen Ali, the highly-rated England Under-19 batsman, to Worcestershire was another sign that all is not well.

Paul Bolton The Wisden Cricketer